KR20050055040A - Inspection device and ultrasonograph - Google Patents

Abstract

An ultrasonograph for carrying out examination simply and quickly while achieving high resolution and high- speed processing, an ultrasonic transducer, an examining instrument, and ultrasonographing device the subject matter are disclosed. Piezoelectric layers constituting an ultrasonic transducer are made of barium titanate (BaTiO3) or lead titanate zirconate (PZT) is used and the thickness of each piezoelectric layer is 0.1 to 100 mum. The ultrasonograph comprises a drive unit for driving one of the piezoelectric layers, a sensing unit for sensing electric signals generated by piezoelectric layers receiving echos from the object subjected to ultrasonic wave transmitted by the driven piezoelectric layer, and a processing unit for visualizing the state of the subjected object by processing the sensed electric signal.

Description

Inspection Device and Ultrasonic Examination Device {INSPECTION DEVICE AND ULTRASONOGRAPH}

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus for inspecting abnormalities such as internal defects and peeling of semiconductor chips, metals, ceramic components, resins, and the like using ultrasonic waves, and ultrasonic transducers, inspection apparatuses, and ultrasonic imaging apparatuses therefor. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, an ultrasonic transducer, an inspection apparatus, and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus, which are particularly suitable for inspecting abnormalities easily and quickly, more precisely or at higher speed.

The inspection of fine internal structures such as semiconductor chips (integrated circuits) by ultrasonic waves is performed for the purpose of inspecting the bonding state of the solder that joins the functional surface of the semiconductor chip to the wiring board or the filler filled in the gaps thereof. do.

As one of such inspection methods, while ultrasonically scanning a monocular ultrasonic transducer in water, ultrasonic waves are irradiated from the transducer through the water to the inspection object, and the ultrasonic wave propagates and returns to the echo. The transducer may capture a signal and process the signal obtained thereby to determine the state of the inspection object.

The problem currently in this inspection method is that it takes a lot of time and effort to scan the machine in water immersion, and in the case of a semiconductor chip, the chip cannot be used after the inspection, and the connection of the semiconductor chip to be inspected. The area and pitch of the terminals become narrower, and there is a possibility that the abnormality discrimination ability may be insufficient in the inspection accuracy of the phenomenon.

The ultrasonic transducer as described above can be manufactured by film-forming piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide and tin oxide, but a certain film thickness is required in order to secure detection sensitivity. However, practically, if the film thickness is secured, the upper limit of the frequency of the generated ultrasonic waves is limited. The frequency is mostly linked to the resolution, thus leading to a lack of anomaly discrimination capability.

If the piezoelectric material is selected as having a high sensitivity, it is possible to make the film thickness thinner. Therefore, it is understood that the resolution can be increased by increasing the driving frequency, but it is generally difficult to form uniformly.

In addition, in an ultrasonic imaging apparatus having a monocular ultrasonic sensor, for example, the ultrasonic wave is transmitted in the vertical direction by using the immersion method, and the imaging has a specific depth of focus on the premise that there is a reflector on the front side. Is done. In this case, when imaging the inside of the inspection object whose surface is a curved shape, it cannot respond, for example, it has a defect that a focal point is disturbed and high-definition imaging is impossible.

In addition, in the ultrasonic imaging apparatus having an ultrasonic transducer composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix or in a line, it is possible to cope with high precision, but the inspection object has a layer structure or a surface having a plurality of different acoustic characteristics. The problem is the enormousness of the process at the time of visualizing the defects, voids, peelings and the like in the case of the curved surface. This processing requires performing two-dimensional or three-dimensional refraction calculation of a large number of ultrasonic waves transmitted and received between piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix shape, resulting in a large processing time.

Therefore, in order to reduce the processing time, for example, when the layer structure or the surface shape of the inspection target can be specified, the propagation time of the ultrasonic signals transmitted and received between a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix or in a line is measured. It is possible to use a table that is calculated in advance along with a propagation path such as refraction and stored in a table. This eliminates the need for refraction calculations one by one. However, also in this case, since there are many piezoelectric elements, sufficient calculation speed is not achieved.

In the ultrasonic inspection in the immersion method, the piezoelectric elements (transmitter and receiver of an ultrasonic wave) and the subject are immersed in a liquid such as water, and the ultrasonic wave is transmitted and received while mechanically scanning the piezoelectric element, thereby allowing the inside of the subject to be examined. Visualization is performed (see Ogura, "Non-destructive Testing of Semiconductor Packages", Non-Destructive Testing, Japan Non-Destructive Testing Association, May 13, 2017, Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 291-292). ).

However, in the water immersion method, since the piezoelectric element is immersed in the liquid, the liquid penetrates into the piezoelectric element and its durability tends to decrease. In addition, it was difficult to perform the internal inspection of the subject placed in the sealed container from the outside.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an ultrasonic inspection apparatus for inspecting abnormalities such as peeling of internal connection parts such as semiconductor chips or composite materials, internal defects of metals, etc. using ultrasonic waves, and ultrasonic transducers therefor It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, an ultrasonic transducer, an inspection apparatus, and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus that can be inspected easily and quickly, and which can be inspected easily and quickly. .

In order to solve the above problems, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a substrate, a common electrode formed on the substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric layers formed independently of the common electrode in a matrix shape on the common electrode, and a plurality of upper portions formed on the piezoelectric layer, respectively. An ultrasonic transducer having an electrode, a driving unit connected to the upper electrode and capable of driving any of the piezoelectric layers from the upper electrode, and an ultrasonic wave connected to the upper electrode and emitted by the driven piezoelectric layer A detection unit that detects an electrical signal generated by the plurality of piezoelectric layers from the plurality of upper electrodes due to the reflected echo from the processor, and a processing unit that performs a process of visualizing the state of the inspection target from the detected electrical signal; The piezoelectric layer of the ultrasonic transducer is barium titanate (B aTiO ₃ ) or zinc zirconate titanate (PZT), and has a thickness of 0.1 μm to 100 μm.

That is, barium titanate or zinc zirconate titanate is used as the material of the piezoelectric layer film. These materials are suitable for the generation and detection of ultrasonic waves because they have a larger electromechanical coupling coefficient and a higher conversion efficiency between electrical energy and mechanical vibration energy than zinc oxide. In addition, since the dielectric constant is larger than that of zinc oxide, it is also excellent in electrical compatibility with an electric pulse power supply when, for example, pulse driving.

As a film thickness, it forms in 0.1 micrometer-100 micrometers utilizing the height of the said conversion efficiency. Thereby, the frequency of the ultrasonic wave which a piezoelectric layer generate | occur | produces can be raised to about 20 MHz, for example, and sufficient high resolution can be achieved. It is preferable to form a film thickness about 0.5 micrometer-30 micrometers more practically.

When barium titanate is used as a piezoelectric material, the Curie temperature is slightly lower than that of zinc zirconate titanate (about 130 ° C). Therefore, the Curie temperature is artificially increased by using mismatch distortion of lattice constant. desirable.

As the deposition method for forming the piezoelectric layer of barium titanate and zinc zirconate titanate, physical vapor deposition such as sputtering, solution coating such as sol-gel, chemical vapor deposition such as metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and the like can be used. have. These piezoelectric films may be polycrystalline films or epitaxial growth films, but it is more preferable that the orientation of the crystals is aligned by using epitaxial growth or the like to obtain higher piezoelectric conversion characteristics. As another method, the piezoelectric film may be thinned to the predetermined thickness and formed in advance, and a method of polishing or cutting may be used therein. In this case, the piezoelectric thinned by polishing or the like can be adhered onto the common electrode by a predetermined method (described later).

Also, as the material of the common electrode and the upper electrode, and the like of a conductive oxide, such as Pt, noble metals such as Ir, or SrRuO ₃ film. Conductive oxides such as SrRuO ₃ have the drawback that the electrical resistance is slightly higher than that of noble metals, but the interface with the piezoelectric film as described above is good and mechanically difficult to peel off. For formation of the electrode, for example, sputtering can be used.

As a method of manufacturing a plurality of piezoelectric elements in a matrix form using a thin film formation technique of a piezoelectric body, for example, a piezoelectric film may be deposited only in a desired region using a mask during sputtering film formation, or the entire surface thereof. After the film is deposited, the unnecessary portions of the film may be removed by a method such as chemical etching. In general, a method using chemical etching is more preferable because a finer process and higher dimensional accuracy can be processed.

In addition, the ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention includes a substrate, a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on the substrate, a common electrode formed on the back side of the substrate, a plurality of piezoelectric layers independently formed in a matrix shape on the common electrode, and the piezoelectric body. And a plurality of upper electrodes each formed on the layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer has barium titanate or zinc zirconate titanate, and has a thickness of 0.1 µm to 100 µm.

This ultrasonic transducer forms the configuration of the ultrasonic transducer in the ultrasonic inspection apparatus on the back side of a semiconductor chip in which an integrated circuit is formed on a functional surface. The above description is suitable as an ultrasonic transducer. If the area of the piezoelectric body is set to, for example, about 500 μm × 500 μm or less, it is possible to sufficiently cope with narrowing of terminals to be abnormally detected.

In addition, the inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of contact terminals having a needle-like structure, a drive unit connected to the contact terminal and generating a driving voltage from any of the contact terminals, and connected to the contact terminal, A detection unit for detecting, from the plurality of contact terminals, an electrical signal returned from the inspection object to the contact terminal due to the generated driving voltage; and the inside of the inspection object from the position of the detected electrical signal and the arbitrary contact terminal. It is characterized by including the processing part which performs the process which visualizes a state.

This inspection apparatus can perform ultrasonic inspection in combination with the ultrasonic transducer. Signal exchange between the upper electrode of the ultrasonic transducer and the inspection device is performed by a contact terminal having a needle-like structure. Therefore, by such a combination, the ultrasonic examination can achieve sufficiently high resolution as in the above description.

As the contact terminal, for example, a sharp field emission cold cathode, more preferably a transfer mold method cold cathode can be used. By these electrodes, a sufficient electrical contact state with the upper electrode of a narrow area can be realized. When combined with the ultrasonic transducer, the contact terminals are installed to correspond to the upper electrodes of the ultrasonic transducer, respectively.

In addition, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present invention is an ultrasonic transducer having a common electrode having one surface, a piezoelectric layer formed on one surface of the common electrode, an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, and connected to the upper electrode A drive unit capable of driving the piezoelectric layer from an electrode, and an electrical signal generated from the piezoelectric layer by the reflected echo from an inspection object by ultrasonic waves emitted from the driven piezoelectric layer connected to the upper electrode, from the upper electrode; A detection unit for detecting, a scanning movement mechanism for scanning and moving the ultrasonic transducer relative to the inspection object, and a process of visualizing the state of the inspection object from the position of the detected electrical signal and the scanning movement ultrasonic transducer. A processing unit configured to perform the ultrasonic transducer Group has a piezoelectric layer of barium titanate or zirconate Santi zinc carbonate, and further characterized in that a thickness of 0.1㎛ to 100㎛.

This ultrasonic inspection apparatus detects the state of an inspection object by performing mechanical scanning of the ultrasonic transducer itself, without using the piezoelectric layer of matrix form as an ultrasonic transducer. Features of the piezoelectric layer of the ultrasonic transducer are as described above.

In addition, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a laser light source generated by intermittently or intensity modulating a laser light, an optical transmitter for irradiating a test object with the generated laser light in a spot shape, and the optical transmitter Non-contacting by the displacement measuring method using a laser beam, the vibration displacement on the surface of the inspection object caused by the echo of the ultrasonic wave in the inspection object generated by the irradiated laser light and the scanning movement mechanism relatively scanningly moved with the object. And a processing unit for performing a process of visualizing the state of the inspection object from the positions of the converted electrical signal and the scanning-transmitted optical transmitter.

This ultrasonic inspection apparatus achieves high resolution by irradiating an inspection target with a spot shape of laser light generated intermittently or by intensity modulation. By making the spot shape, it is possible to make an ultrasonic generator with a considerably small area at an exact position on the inspection object. Therefore, the high resolution can be detected by capturing the echo.

In addition, the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic transducer having a plurality of piezoelectric elements each arranged in a matrix or in a line shape, and connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements and drives any one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. A plurality of piezoelectric elements generated by receiving a reflection echo from an object to be inspected through an acoustic propagation medium which is connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements and connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements and emitted by the driven piezoelectric element. A signal detection circuit that detects signals in parallel, a signal processing unit that performs a process of imaging the state of the inspection object from the parallel detected electrical signals by using a parallel operation, and the processed and imaged results And a display device for displaying, wherein the signal processing unit is to be imaged at the inspection target. By meshing a region, an ultrasonic propagation time from the driven piezoelectric element to one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements for each of the meshed regions is compared with the one of the driven piezoelectric element and the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The parallel processing is performed using the storage unit for storing each combination and the stored ultrasonic propagation time, and determining the reflection intensity for each of the meshed regions from the time direction data of one of the parallel detected electrical signals. And a plurality of processing units which perform in parallel with each of the detected electrical signals, and an adding unit which adds, for each of the meshed regions, the reflection intensity determined by being processed in parallel.

That is, the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the present invention is based on the premise that an ultrasonic transducer having a plurality of piezoelectric elements each arranged in a matrix or in a line shape is used for generation and detection of ultrasonic waves. Drives any of a plurality of piezoelectric elements, detects echoes from the inspection object in the plurality of piezoelectric elements, converts them into electrical signals, detects the converted electrical signals in parallel in a signal detection circuit, and then in the signal processor The image processing is performed in parallel.

In the parallel operation, the storage unit, the plurality of processing units, and the adding unit are used. The storage unit meshes an area to be imaged in the inspection object and transmits ultrasonic propagation time from the piezoelectric element driven to each of the meshed regions to one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein the one of the piezoelectric element and the plurality of piezoelectric elements is driven. It is stored for each combination.

The plurality of processing units use the stored ultrasonic propagation time and, based on one of the electrical signals detected in parallel, determine a reflection intensity for each of the meshed regions for each of the detected electrical signals in parallel. In parallel with each other. Such parallel processing enables high speed processing. The processed result is added for each area meshed by the adding means. Thereby, imaging data can be obtained.

In addition, the storage unit, the plurality of processing units, and the addition unit use, for example, a dedicated or general purpose calculator as hardware, and by the hardware and basic software and application software operating on the hardware, for example. Can be configured.

In addition, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present invention selects a piezoelectric element having a plurality of piezoelectric elements, a flat plate-shaped solid acoustic propagation medium acoustically connected to the piezoelectric element, and a piezoelectric element from the piezoelectric element. A detection unit for detecting an electric signal generated from the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric unit on the basis of a driving unit for generating ultrasonic waves and a reflection ultrasonic wave in which a part of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the piezoelectric element selected by the driving unit is reflected from an object in a liquid acoustic medium And an image generation unit for generating an image representing the internal state of the subject under test based on the electrical signal detected by the detection unit, and a display unit for displaying the image generated by the image generation unit.

By electronically selecting and transmitting and receiving a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a plurality, visualization can be performed without mechanical scanning. In addition, the container is placed in a state where the piezoelectric element is placed outside the container by allowing a test object to be accommodated inside and penetrating the solid acoustic propagation medium or acoustically connecting to the outer surface of the container that accumulates the liquid acoustic medium. The external appearance and internal structure of the subject inside can be visualized.

Here, "acoustically connected" means a state in which sound transmission between different acoustic media is possible. In addition, by inserting a coupler (couplant) between the acoustic media, it is possible to further improve the sound transmission characteristics between different acoustic media.

(Example)

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic non-destructive inspection with high resolution can be realized easily and quickly due to the structural and material characteristics of the ultrasonic transducer. In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the ultrasonic generator with a considerably small area can be made on the surface of the inspection object, it is possible to realize the high resolution of the ultrasonic inspection.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus further includes a container capable of accommodating liquid, and the container capable of immersing the ultrasonic transducer and the inspection object in the accommodated liquid. Ultrasonic propagation properties are superior to gas, for example, water is used as the acoustic medium.

In addition, as an embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus specifies the ultrasonic path in the inspection object by calculating the refraction of the ultrasonic wave generated at the interface between the acoustic medium and the inspection object. It corresponds to the case where the acoustic medium is a material different from the object to be inspected (the object to be irradiated).

In addition, as an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus is provided on the back of the substrate of the ultrasonic transducer, and further includes a coupler that can be held between the inspection object. Thereby, it is not necessary to immerse a board | substrate and an inspection object, and ultrasonic wave can be irradiated simply and efficiently. At this time, the coupler can be easily removed from the inspection object without contaminating or damaging the inspection object or the substrate by the coupler. In addition, when the substrate is made of the same material as that of the inspection object (for example, silicon, epoxy, ceramic, metal, etc.), the influence of refraction between the transducer and the inspection object is small and signal processing is simplified.

As the coupler, a liquid such as water or alcohol, a fibrous mesh material moistened with water or alcohol, a flexible organic material, a ceramic, a metal material, or the like can be used. When the thickness of the coupler is sufficiently thinner than the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave used for the inspection, the influence on the inspection is small, which is preferable.

In addition, as an embodiment of the present invention, the common electrode of the ultrasonic transducer has an interface compound layer at an interface with the formed piezoelectric layer. This interface compound layer functions as an adhesive layer between the common electrode and the piezoelectric layer. In the case where the piezoelectric material is thinned by polishing or cutting and formed in advance, stable bonding with the common electrode is required in a later step. For this reason, an interface compound layer is used.

In order to form the interfacial compound layer, an electrostatic bonding method is used, and as the electrostatic bonding layer, for example, glass (preferably glass having movable ions), water glass, SiO ₂ , A1, Ta, Ti, Ni, Si, Mo , Cr, Ge, Ga, As, kovar (kovar), Fe, Mg, beryllium and the like can be used. The thickness of the layer is preferably set to a thickness of 1 to 100 atomic layers. This is because the adhesiveness is saturated when it exceeds 100 atomic layers.

In addition, the surface roughness of the piezoelectric body at the time of adhesion is set to 1% or less of its thickness (0.1 μm to 100 μm, more preferably 0.5 μm to 30 μm), and furthermore, to provide an interface compound layer. It is preferable to set the surface roughness in the same way, since adhesiveness improves and it becomes stable adhesion.

In addition, without using an electrostatic bonding method, the substrate (common electrode) and the piezoelectric layer subjected to polarization may be bonded by electrostatic attraction due to polarization, whereby a flat adhesion state with the common electrode can be easily obtained. . In this case, when a metal layer formed by sputtering is formed on the piezoelectric layer, the adhesiveness becomes higher. Further, even after the piezoelectric body is adhered to the common electrode, there is an advantage that the upper electrode can be stably formed on the piezoelectric body by post-treatment of the piezoelectric body in a polarized state. In addition, the degradation of the sensitivity and the resolution caused by the undulation of the piezoelectric layer and the thickness unevenness of the interfacial compound layer can be prevented.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, high-speed processing is possible by parallel processing.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal processing unit of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus, in place of the storage unit, meshes an area to be imaged in the inspection object and transmits a predetermined piezoelectric element to each of the meshed areas. And a second storage unit for generalizing and storing the side ultrasonic wave propagation time and the receiving side ultrasonic wave propagation time to a predetermined piezoelectric element, wherein the plurality of processing units replaces the stored ultrasonic wave propagation time and the stored ultrasonic wave propagation time instead of the stored ultrasonic wave propagation time. Use the stored reception ultrasonic wave propagation time.

By having such a 2nd storage part, a required storage area can be reduced significantly. For example, it can apply to the case where a test subject has a planar surface.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the area to be imaged in the storage section of the signal processing section is limited in consideration of the ultrasonic wave generation directivity characteristic of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. By providing such a restriction, the storage area unnecessary for the process can be reduced.

Further, the embodiment of the present invention, in the second storage portion of the signal processing portion, the area to be imaged is limited in consideration of the ultrasonic wave generation directivity characteristic of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. Also in this case, the storage area unnecessary for processing can be reduced.

Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the signal processing unit meshes an area to be imaged in the inspection object and ultrasonic propagation from the driven piezoelectric element to one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements for each of the meshed regions. And a propagation intensity characteristic storage unit for storing the intensity characteristic for each combination of the driven piezoelectric element and the plurality of piezoelectric elements, and the plurality of processing units of the signal processing unit have the stored ultrasonic waves in a process of determining the reflection intensity. Propagation intensity characteristics are used for correction.

Ultrasonic propagation intensity characteristics from the driven piezoelectric element to one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements vary depending on the directivity characteristics of the piezoelectric element. For example, the ultrasonic waves generated and received in a blind spot generate a decrease in sensitivity. Thus, by correcting such a decrease in sensitivity with the propagation intensity characteristic stored in the propagation intensity characteristic storage unit, the imaging result is highly accurate. The propagation intensity characteristic storage unit may additionally provide an address and a storage unit for the ultrasonic propagation time in common thereto.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the signal processing unit meshes the area to be imaged in the inspection object, and transmits the ultrasonic wave propagation intensity characteristic from the constant piezoelectric element and the constant piezoelectric element for each of the meshed regions. The apparatus further includes a propagation intensity characteristic storage unit for generalizing and commonly storing the receiving side ultrasonic wave intensity characteristics of the receiving side, wherein the plurality of processing units of the signal processing unit stores the transmitted side ultrasonic wave propagation intensity characteristics and the receiving side in a process of determining the reflection intensity. Ultrasonic propagation intensity characteristics are used for correction.

In this case as well, the sensitivity reduction is corrected by the propagation intensity characteristic stored in the propagation intensity characteristic storage unit, whereby the imaging results are highly accurate. In this case, the propagation intensity characteristic storage unit significantly reduces the required storage area. For example, it can apply to the case where a test subject has a planar surface.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the signal processor may be configured to provide the data to the storage unit with the data of the ultrasonic propagation time as an initial value and the data of the ultrasonic propagation time given to the inspection object. A detector which detects the discontinuous plane or discontinuous line of the inspection object from the reflection intensity for each of the meshed regions obtained by the addition unit and added by the adder, and the storage on the basis of the detected discontinuous plane or discontinuous line; It further has a reset unit for resetting the contents of the means.

According to such a structure, if a numerical value is provided assuming the inspection object of a single layer at the ultrasonic propagation time as an initial value, for example, the discontinuous surface or discontinuous line of an inspection object can be detected from the obtained reflection intensity. In other words, it is possible to know a change in the position of a true inspection object (an inspection object not including an acoustic propagation medium). If the ultrasonic propagation time is stored again in accordance with this position change, high-accuracy imaging can be performed.

The following describes an accident of an embodiment (sixth embodiment) of the present invention described below.

For example, in order to perform 3D image synthesis by the aperture synthesis process, it is necessary to correspond the ultrasonic echo waveform (time direction data) transmitted and received between any two piezoelectric elements to the distance direction. Specifically, each sampling data of the ultrasonic echo waveform is corrected by distance data according to the sound velocity to specify the reflected imaging mesh, and the sampling data is associated with the specified imaging mesh. Then, the 3D image is drawn by adding the sampling data (intensity indicated by an amplitude value) over the entire combination of two piezoelectric elements to all the meshes in the 3D imaging region or the whole mesh of the region limited to the direction angle. )can do.

Here, when performing the inspection, it is common to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the inspection object through an acoustic propagation medium which is immersed in water or made of a shoe member of resin. Therefore, in the path | route propagated by an ultrasonic wave, the area | region of the sound velocity different from an acoustic propagation medium and a test object exists at least. In the case where the inspection object is composed of a plurality of layers having different sound speeds, a total of three or more layers are configured.

In the case of a plurality of layer configurations, it is necessary to perform 3D drawing by adding sampling data (amplitude values) in accordance with the round trip distance determined in consideration of the refraction at the interface of each layer. Therefore, in general, the refraction calculation is performed for each mesh, and as a result, correspondence and addition processing of the sampling data is performed, resulting in a large amount of processing time and excessive time until display, which makes it difficult to achieve practical performance. Become.

However, in the immersion test under a certain shape of the shoe material or the fixed condition, even if the refraction calculation is not performed for each mesh, the propagation time data can be used as a table. By tabulation, the processing corresponding to the refraction calculation can be reduced up to the memory access time. Further, by arranging arithmetic circuits in parallel in correspondence with the plurality of piezoelectric elements on the receiving side, the image synthesizing process is further accelerated.

According to the above method, for example, in the case where 10 x 10 piezoelectric elements are arranged in a matrix in plan, table data corresponding to the entire combination of two piezoelectric elements (transmitting side and receiving side) out of 100 is prepared. It is necessary to do. For this reason, when the interface of the said multiple layers is a complicated shape, the calculation time and data capacity at the time of creating table data beforehand become large.

When there is symmetry or uniformity at the interface of the inspection object, it is very effective to reduce the calculation time and the data capacity by commonizing the table data without using the above combination. For example, when inspecting a flat inspection object with a shoe material having a planar shape and a constant thickness, as long as there is a single table data corresponding to a one-way ultrasonic path, transmission by any piezoelectric element in coordinate transformation and The propagation distance of the reception can be calculated. As a result, the memory capacity in the parallel arithmetic circuit is reduced, and the processing is further accelerated by the fast access.

Further, when creating the ultrasonic propagation time table data or common table data, if the area of the table data is limited in consideration of the directivity characteristic of the piezoelectric element, unnecessary image data cannot be drawn, and the image combining process can be made more efficient. Can be.

In addition, when generating the propagation time table data or the common table data, if the sensitivity distribution data along with the propagation time are stored in the table data in consideration of the directivity characteristic of the piezoelectric element, the gain of the square component of the ultrasonic wave which becomes low sensitivity becomes low. It is possible to effectively use the echo data of the square component which is effective for adjusting the gain and improving the accuracy.

In addition, when creating ultrasonic propagation time table data or common table data, assuming a single layer of an acoustic propagation medium composed of a solid or a liquid as an inspection object, and initially setting the table data therein, the resultant image is used for It is possible to extract the interface between the propagation medium and the inspection target. The table data recalculated using this processing result can correspond to the imaging when the position changes. In addition, the shape data can be stored in advance in case the shape of the true inspection object is complicated, and the ultrasonic propagation time table data and the common table data can be reset by adding the stored shape data.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic inspection apparatus capable of inspecting the state of a subject disposed inside the sealed container from the outside without immersing the piezoelectric element (ultrasound transducer) in the liquid. do. As a result, since the piezoelectric element is not immersed in the liquid, its durability is improved.

In the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, an array transducer in which piezoelectric elements are arranged in a matrix or in a line is tightly fixed to a shoe member through a coupler. The shoe material is connected to the outer surface of the test container containing the liquid acoustic medium or penetrates the test container through the opening. As a result, the internal inspection can be performed by performing electrical signal collection of reflected ultrasonic waves or transmitted ultrasonic waves from the inspected object provided in the inspection container, and synthesizing a visualized image from the collected data.

Here, when the surface position of the object under test, i.e., the surface (interface) of the piezoelectric element and the test object, is known, reflection from the piezoelectric element until it is reflected from this interface and reaches the piezoelectric element The sound velocity of the liquid acoustic medium in the inspection container can be obtained from the propagation time of the ultrasonic waves, and used for the correction during the image generating process, thereby improving the accuracy of the image data.

In addition, by providing a reflector for changing the ultrasonic transmission angle in the inspection container, measurement and visualization from the horizontal direction can be performed with respect to the inspected object.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the embodiment of the present invention will be described taking the inspection of the semiconductor chip as an example.

(First embodiment)

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes an ultrasonic transducer 9, a signal generator 1, a drive element selector 2, a signal detection circuit 4, amplifiers 5a, 5b, ..., 5i. ), A / D converters 6a, 6b,..., 6i, a signal processing unit 7, a display device 10, and an inspection container 110. In the inspection container 110, water 15 is accommodated, and the water 15 is immersed in the ultrasonic transducer 9, the semiconductor chip 11 as the inspection object (the ultrasonic inspection object) and the wiring board 13. The connection solder 12 (hereinafter, referred to as the "semiconductor chip 11") in which the semiconductor chip 11, the wiring board 13, and the connection solder 12 are integrated is disposed.

The ultrasonic transducer 9 has a plurality of piezoelectric elements 41a, 42a, 43a, ..., 49a, 50a, 50b, ..., 50h including piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix, and each piezoelectric element 41a. The back is determined to be driven by the selection of the drive element selector 2 so that the drive signal from the signal generator 1 is guided by the conducting wire. In addition, electrical signals generated by the respective piezoelectric elements 41a and the like are guided to the signal detection circuit 4 by conducting wires. When the piezoelectric element 41a or the like is electrically driven, ultrasonic waves are generated due to its properties as a piezoelectric body, and the generated ultrasonic waves reach the semiconductor chip 11 through the water 15. The reflected echo of the ultrasonic waves by the semiconductor chip 11 or the like is again inputted into the piezoelectric element 41a or the like through the water 15, whereby each piezoelectric element 41a or the like generates an electric signal.

The signal generator 1 generates a pulse shape or a continuous drive signal for the piezoelectric element 41a or the like to generate ultrasonic waves. The generated drive signal is guided to the drive element selector 2. The drive element selector 2 selects one or a plurality of piezoelectric elements 41a to be driven, and then guides the drive signal derived from the signal generator 1 to the selected piezoelectric element 41a or the like.

The signal detection circuit 4 detects an electrical signal generated by the piezoelectric element 41a or the like. Of the detected electrical signals, a plurality of pieces required for inspection are led to the amplifiers 5a, 5b, ..., 5i, respectively.

The amplifiers 5a, 5b, ..., 5i amplify the induced electric signals and supply them to the A / D converters 6a, 6b, ..., 6i. The A / D converters 6a, 6b, ..., 6i convert the induced electrical signals to A / D and induce them to the signal processing section 7.

The signal processor 7 processes digital signals derived from the A / D converters 6a, 6b, ..., 6i to generate information for visualizing the state of the inspection object. The generated information is guided to the display device 10. The display device 10 displays the derived information.

The inspection container 110 is a container for immersing the semiconductor chip 11 and the ultrasonic transducer 9 to be inspected in the water 15.

2 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of the piezoelectric element 41a or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the piezoelectric element 41a or the like has a ground electrode 122, an interface compound layer 123, a piezoelectric layer 124, and an upper electrode layer 125 on the substrate 121 from below. At least the substrate 121 and the ground electrode 122 are common to all the piezoelectric elements 41a and the like. As the substrate 121, for example, a metal such as silicon, epoxy, ceramic, SUS, or single crystal or polycrystal can be used. Formation of the piezoelectric element 41a etc. as shown in FIG. 2 can be performed by selecting the above-mentioned method suitably.

The inspection operation of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described. A signal for driving the piezoelectric element 41a or the like is generated in the signal generator 1, which is guided to the piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element 46a in the drawing) selected in the drive element selector 2. Thereby, the piezoelectric element 46a generates the ultrasonic wave U, and the generated ultrasonic wave is irradiated to the semiconductor chip 11 etc. with water 15 as a propagation medium.

The ultrasonic wave U transmitted to the semiconductor chip 11 or the like is further refracted at the surface of the semiconductor chip 11, for example, reflected by the connection solder 12 in which the defect 14 is generated, and is echoed. The semiconductor chip 11 and the water 15 reach the piezoelectric element 46a and the like again.

As a result, the piezoelectric element 41a or the like generates an electric signal. The generated electrical signal is guided to the signal detection circuit 4 and detected. In the signal detection circuit 4, the electrical signals required for the inspection (the piezoelectric elements 41a, ..., 50a are generated in the drawing) are guided to the amplifiers 5a, ..., 5i from the detected ones, respectively. The amplifiers 5a, ..., 5i respectively amplify the induced signals and supply them to the A / D converters 6a, ..., 6i. In addition, the signal A / D converted by the A / D converters 6a, ..., 6i is accommodated in the signal processing unit 7.

The signal processor 7 receives a signal from the A / D converters 6a, ..., 6i every time switching by the drive element selector 2 and the signal detection circuit 4 is executed, and the semiconductor chip 11 Processing to image the distribution state of the reflected echo intensity from the joining interface of the connection solder 12 with each other. The result is displayed on the display device 10. In addition, when the connection solder 12 has a defect (solder peeling or the like) 14, the reflection intensity of the ultrasonic wave U is increased, whereby the position and the degree can be known from the processing result of the signal processing unit 7.

In this embodiment, high frequency driving is possible because of structural and material characteristics of the piezoelectric element 41a and the like. Therefore, high resolution inspection can be performed, and the piezoelectric element 41a and the like are matrixed. The inspection can be performed efficiently as compared with the injection.

Also, in this embodiment, the acoustic medium is water 15, and the material differs from the semiconductor chip 11 and the like. As a result, ultrasonic wave refraction occurs on the surface of the semiconductor chip 11. Therefore, the signal processor 7 specifies the ultrasonic path in the semiconductor chip 11 in consideration of this refraction.

(Second embodiment)

3 is a configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the above-mentioned component is attached | subjected with the same number, and the description of the structure and operation is abbreviate | omitted. Unlike the first embodiment, this embodiment does not perform ultrasonic irradiation to the inspection target through water, but rather by using a shoe material.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic transducer 9 is comprised using the shoe material 16 as a board | substrate. The shoe material 16 is provided with a coupler 17 on its rear surface, and is pressed by the semiconductor chip 11 or the like as an inspection target through the coupler 17. The shoe material 16 is made of the same material (for example, silicon, epoxy, ceramic, etc.) as the semiconductor chip 11. The coupler 17 can have the same material and thickness as described above, but a sheet-like one is used here as an example.

The coupler 17 causes the shoe material 16 and the semiconductor chip 11 to be in flat contact with each other, whereby the ultrasonic waves emitted by the piezoelectric elements 41a of the acoustic wave transducer 9 are shown. Similarly, most of the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 proceeds without refracting. Therefore, it is not necessary to process the signal processing unit 7 in consideration of refraction, so that the processing can be performed more simply.

Moreover, since it is not necessary to prepare the test container which accommodates water, and a test object is not immersed in water, an object can be used as usual after an test. Therefore, in addition to the specimen inspection, this ultrasonic inspection in the air can be easily used.

Also in this embodiment, high frequency driving is possible due to the structural and material characteristics of the piezoelectric element 41a and the like, so that high resolution inspection can be performed, and the piezoelectric element 41a and the like are matrixed. The inspection can be performed more efficiently than the mechanical scanning of.

(Third embodiment)

4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 4, the above-described components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration and operation is omitted. In this embodiment, a piezoelectric element is formed directly on the back surface (opposite side of the functional surface) of the semiconductor chip 11a or the like as an inspection object, and the upper electrode is contacted by a contact terminal to supply the driving voltage and extract the generated voltage. I did it.

As shown in Fig. 4, the common electrode 58 is formed on the back surface of the semiconductor chip 11a by, for example, sputtering, and the piezoelectric layers 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d,... Are formed on the common electrode 58. ) Is formed in a matrix shape. Upper electrodes 59a, 59b, 59c, 59d, ... are formed on the piezoelectric layer 60a and the like, respectively. The piezoelectric layer 60a or the like can be formed, for example, by sputtering using a mask pattern. Further, the arrangement and formation of each piezoelectric element may correspond to the arrangement of the connection solder 12 to further simplify the signal processing.

The supply of the driving voltage through the upper electrode 59a and the extraction of the generated voltage are performed by the contact terminals 61a, 61b, 61c. The contact terminal 61a or the like is capable of scanning movement by the scanning movement mechanism 8. In addition, in this figure, although three contact terminals are provided, the number can be set suitably. In addition, the thing as mentioned above can be used for the contact terminal 61a etc. specifically ,.

In the signal processing unit 7a, the position to which the scanning movement mechanism 8 gives the contact terminal 61a or the like as the information is obtained, and the semiconductor chip (the information from the detection signal by the ultrasonic waves Ua, Ub, Uc, etc.) is obtained. A process of imaging the distribution state of the reflected echo intensity from the junction interface of 11a) and the connection solder 12 is performed.

In this embodiment as well, it is not necessary to prepare an inspection container for accommodating water, and since the inspection object is not immersed in water, the object can be used as usual after the inspection. Therefore, in addition to the specimen inspection, this ultrasonic inspection in the air can be easily used.

In addition, high frequency driving is possible because of the structural and material characteristics of the piezoelectric element, and therefore, high resolution inspection can be performed. In the first and second embodiments, the method of performing the supply of the driving voltage and the extraction of the generated voltage by using the contact with the piezoelectric element by the contact terminal 61a or the like described in the first and second embodiments, It can also be used in place of the connection with the piezoelectric element 41a or the like.

(Example 4)

5 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 5, the above-described components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration and operation is omitted. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer is mechanically scanned for inspection.

As shown in Fig. 5, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes an ultrasonic transducer 9a, a signal generating circuit 1a, a signal detecting circuit 4a, an amplifier 5a, an A / D converter 6a, and a signal processor 7b. ), Display device 10, and inspection container 110a. The water 15 is accommodated in the inspection container 110a, and is immersed in this water 15, and the ultrasonic transducer 9a, the semiconductor chip 11 as an inspection object (ultrasound irradiation object), etc. are arrange | positioned.

The ultrasonic transducer 9a has a structure in which an electrode layer 29, a piezoelectric layer 30, and an upper electrode layer 31 are sequentially stacked on a concave-shaped substrate surface, and this laminated structure functions as a piezoelectric element. In the piezoelectric element, a drive signal from the signal generating circuit 1a is guided by the conducting wire. Moreover, the electrical signal which a piezoelectric element generate | occur | produces is guide | induced to the signal detection circuit 4a by a conducting wire. When the piezoelectric element is electrically driven, ultrasonic waves U are generated due to its properties as a piezoelectric body, and the generated ultrasonic waves reach the semiconductor chip 11 through the water 15. The echo of the ultrasonic waves by the semiconductor chip 11 or the like is inputted to the piezoelectric element through water 15 again, whereby the piezoelectric element generates an electric signal.

The signal generating circuit 1a generates a pulse shape or a continuous drive signal so that the piezoelectric element generates ultrasonic waves. The signal detection circuit 4a detects an electrical signal generated by the piezoelectric element. The detected electrical signal is guided to the amplifier 5a. The A / D converter 6a and the display device 10 thereafter are the same as described above.

The signal processing unit 7b obtains and processes, as information, the digital signal derived from the A / D converter 6a and the position that the scanning movement mechanism 8a gives to the ultrasonic transducer 9a to visualize the state of the inspection object. To generate. The generated information is guided to the display device 10.

The scanning movement mechanism 8a is provided as a mechanism for setting the position of the ultrasonic transducer 9a, and the information on the setting position is guided to the signal processing section 7b. The inspection container 110a is a container for immersing the semiconductor chip 11 and the ultrasonic transducer 9a to be inspected in the water 15.

The laminated structure of the ultrasonic transducer 9a will be described further. The electrode layer 29 can be formed to function as an adhesive layer using electrostatic attraction. As a material, it can select from Cr, Ta, Si, etc. The piezoelectric layer 30 can be formed by polishing, for example, thinning the film having a material as described above to about 10 µm. In addition, in the drawing, when using a conductive material (for example, a doped Si single crystal or only its surface layer may be doped) for the substrate under the electrode layer 29, the electrode layer 29 may not be formed.

The inspection operation of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The position of the ultrasonic transducer 9a is determined by the scanning movement mechanism 8a, and a signal for driving the ultrasonic transducer 9a is generated in the signal generating circuit 1a. As a result, the ultrasonic transducer 9a generates the ultrasonic wave U, and the generated ultrasonic wave is irradiated onto the semiconductor chip 11 or the like with the water 15 as a propagation medium.

Ultrasonic waves U irradiated on the semiconductor chip 11 are further refracted on the surface of the semiconductor chip 11, for example, reflected by the connection solder 12 where the defect 14 is generated, and are echoed. The ultrasonic transducer 9a is again reached through the semiconductor chip 11 and the water 15.

As a result, the ultrasonic transducer 9a generates an electric signal. The generated electrical signal is guided to the signal detection circuit 4a and detected. The signal detection circuit 4a induces the detected electrical signal to the amplifier 5a. The amplifier 5a amplifies the induced signal and supplies it to the A / D converter 6a. In addition, the signal A / D converted by the A / D converter 6a is accommodated in the signal processor 7b.

In the signal processing unit 7b, the digital signal derived from the A / D converter 6a and the position which the scanning movement mechanism 8a gives to the ultrasonic transducer 9a are obtained and processed as information, and the semiconductor chip 11 and The process of imaging the distribution state of the reflected echo intensity from the joining interface of the connection solder 12 is performed. The result is displayed on the display device 10. This process can be performed whenever the position of the ultrasonic transducer 9a is determined by the scanning movement mechanism 8a.

In this embodiment, high frequency driving is possible because of the structural and material characteristics of the ultrasonic transducer 9a, and therefore, high resolution inspection can be performed. For example, since the piezoelectric layer 30 can be formed more uniformly on the substrate by adhesion using electrostatic force, deterioration in sensitivity and resolution due to inferior uniformity can also be prevented.

Also in this embodiment, since the acoustic medium is water 15 and the material of the semiconductor chip 11 and the like to be inspected are different from each other, the refraction of the ultrasonic wave U occurs on the surface of the semiconductor chip 11. Therefore, in the signal processing unit 7b, the ultrasonic path in the semiconductor chip 11 is specified in consideration of this refraction.

(Example 5)

6 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 6, the above-described components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description of the configuration and operation is omitted. In this embodiment, the inspection object is inspected by generating ultrasonic waves to the inspection object using laser light, and detecting and processing the echoes.

As shown in Fig. 6, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes an intensity modulated laser light source 101, an optical transmitter 102, a vibration displacement detector 71, amplifiers 5a, 5b, ..., 5i, and an A / D converter 6a. 6b, ..., 6i, the signal processing part 7, the display apparatus 10, and the scanning movement mechanism 8b. The laser light from the optical transmitter 102 positioned by the scanning movement mechanism 8b is irradiated to the semiconductor chip 11 or the like as the inspection target.

The intensity modulated laser light source 101 generates intensity modulated laser light (which may be intermittent laser light as a special case of intensity modulation), and the generated laser light is directed to the optical transmitter 102. The optical transmitter 102 makes the guided laser light into the spot shape, and irradiates it to the predetermined position of the semiconductor chip 11 as a test object. In order to irradiate a predetermined position, the optical transmitter 102 is scanned and moved by the scanning movement mechanism 8b. In addition, the conversion of energy occurs in the semiconductor chip 11 by laser light irradiation, and ultrasonic waves are generated.

The vibration displacement detector 71 detects non-contact ultrasonic waves of each part returning as echoes on the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 and converts them into electrical signals. The principle of detection is to measure and detect the vibration displacement of the surface by the ultrasonic wave returning to the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 by the phase change of the laser beam reflected by irradiating from the vibration displacement detector 71. Of the detected electrical signals, a plurality of pieces required for inspection are led to the amplifiers 5a, 5b, ..., 5i, respectively. The A / D converters 6a, 6b, ..., 6i, the signal processing unit 7 and the display device 10 which are the structures after that are as described above.

The scanning movement mechanism 8b moves the optical transmitter 102 and the vibration displacement detector 71 synchronously, and simultaneously transmits the positional information of the optical transmitter 102 and the vibration displacement detector 71 to the signal processor 7a. Supply.

The inspection operation of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 6 will be described. The laser light generated by the intensity modulating laser light source 101 is guided to the optical transmitter 102, and the optical transmitter 102 irradiates a predetermined position of the semiconductor chip 11 as an inspection object with the guided laser light as a spot shape. do. In addition, the position is set by the scanning movement mechanism 8b. As a result, ultrasonic waves are generated from the surface of the position of the semiconductor chip 11.

Ultrasonic waves generated on the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 propagate in the semiconductor chip 11, for example, are reflected from the connection solder 12 in which the defect 14 is generated and echoes Ua, Ub, and Uc. To the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 again.

As a result, the vibration displacement detector 71 generates a plurality of electrical signals corresponding to the ultrasonic waves of the respective portions returned to the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 by the above principle. Of the generated electrical signals, electrical signals required for inspection are induced to the amplifiers 5a, ..., 5i, respectively. The amplifiers 5a, ..., 5i respectively amplify the induced signals and supply them to the A / D converters 6a, ..., 6i. In addition, the signals A / D converted by the A / D converters 6a, ..., 6i are accommodated in the signal processing unit 7a.

In the signal processing unit 7a, the position to which the scanning movement mechanism 8b gives the optical transmitter 102 or the like is obtained as information, and the semiconductor chip 11 and the connection solder 12 are joined by this and the received signal. The process of imaging the distribution state of the reflection echo intensity | strength from an interface is performed.

In this embodiment, by generating a spot shape of the laser light generated intermittently or by intensity modulation, it is possible to make an ultrasonic generator with a relatively small area at an exact position on the inspection object. This makes it possible to detect high resolution by capturing the echo.

Moreover, since it is not necessary to prepare the test container which accommodates water, and a test object is not immersed in water, an object can be used as usual after an test. Therefore, in addition to the specimen inspection, this ultrasonic inspection in the air can be easily used.

(Example 6)

Next, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

7 is a view for explaining an example of the configuration of performing an ultrasonic inspection by the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 7, the ultrasonic imaging apparatus includes an array transducer (ultrasound transducer) 209, a signal generator 201, a drive element selector 202, a signal detection circuit 204, and an amplifier 205a. , 205b,..., 205i, a signal processor 270, and a display device 210. The signal processor 270 has A / D converters 206a, 206b, ..., 206i, parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i, and an integrated processor 208 as an internal configuration. The acoustic propagation medium 216 is in close contact with the front surface of the array transducer 209, and the acoustic propagation medium 216 contacts the test object 217 through the coupler 218. The defect 214 may exist among the inspection objects 217.

The array transducer 209 is formed by arranging a plurality of piezoelectric elements 221a, 222a, 223a, ..., 229a, 230a, 230b, ..., 230h made of piezoelectric elements in matrix form, and each of the piezoelectric elements 221a. The back is determined to be driven by the selection of the drive element selector 202 so that the drive signal from the signal generator 201 is guided by the conducting wire. In addition, electrical signals generated by the respective piezoelectric elements 221a and the like are guided to the signal detection circuit 204 by the conducting wires. When the piezoelectric element 221a or the like is electrically driven, ultrasonic waves are generated due to its properties as a piezoelectric body, and the generated ultrasonic waves reach the defect 214 in the inspection object 217 through the acoustic propagation medium 216. The ultrasonic echo caused by the defect 214 is again input to the piezoelectric element 221a or the like through the acoustic propagation medium 216, whereby each piezoelectric element 221a or the like generates an electrical signal.

The signal generator 201 generates a pulse or continuous drive signal so that the piezoelectric element 221a or the like generates ultrasonic waves. The generated drive signal is guided to the drive element selector 202. The drive element selector 202 selects one or more piezoelectric elements 221a or the like to be driven, and then induces a drive signal derived from the signal generator 201 to the selected piezoelectric element 221a or the like.

The signal detection circuit 204 detects an electrical signal generated by the piezoelectric element 221a or the like. Among the detected electrical signals, a plurality of pieces required for inspection are guided to the amplifiers 205a, 205b, ..., 205i, respectively.

The amplifiers 205a, 205b, ..., 205i amplify the induced electric signals, respectively, and supply them to the A / D converters 206a, 206b, ..., 206i in the signal processing unit 270, respectively. The A / D converters 206a, 206b, ..., 206i perform A / D conversion on the induced electrical signals and induce them to the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i in the signal processing unit 270, respectively.

The parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i in the signal processing unit 270 process digital signals derived from the A / D converters 206a, 206b, ..., 206i in parallel, and each mesh in the imaging area, respectively. It is to specify the reflection intensity from the. The specified reflection intensity is integrated by the integrating processor 208 to become the imaging information, and guided back to the display device 210. The display device 210 displays the derived information.

8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the signal processing unit 270 in more detail. As shown in Fig. 8, the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i each have internal memories 305a, 305b, ..., 305i and arithmetic circuits 306a, 306b, ..., 306i. In addition, the integrated processor 208 includes an image integration processing unit 208a, a boundary extraction processing unit 208b, a shape data storage unit 208c, and a table data storage unit 307.

The internal memories 305a, 305b, ..., 305i temporarily store the A / D conversion signals supplied from the A / D converters 206a, 206b, ..., 206i and the propagation time data obtained from the table data storage unit 307, respectively. To save. The calculation circuits 306a, 306b, ..., 306i specify the reflection intensities from each mesh of the imaging area from the A / D converted signals and the propagation time data stored in the internal memories 305a, 305b, ..., 305i, respectively, Match each mesh with its reflection intensity. The corresponding reflection intensity is supplied to the image integration processor 208a.

The image integration processing unit 208a adds the supplied reflection intensities for each mesh to generate the imaging information. The generated imaging information is guided to the display device 210.

The boundary extraction processing unit 208b extracts a boundary existing inside the inspection object from the result output by the image integration processing unit 208a. Information about the extracted boundary is sent to the table data storage unit 307.

The shape data storage unit 208c stores in advance information on the surface shape and the layer structure of the inspection object 217. The stored information is sent to the table data storage unit 307 as necessary.

The table data storage unit 307 stores a table of the ultrasonic propagation time (or equivalent distance, which is the same below) between the piezoelectric elements 221a and the like, and stores them in advance. Some or all of the stored ultrasonic wave propagation times are transmitted to the internal memories 305a, 305b, ..., 305i of each parallel processor 207a, 207b, ..., 207i as necessary. In addition, the ultrasonic wave propagation time stored in the table data storage unit 307 is the inspection object 217 supplied by the shape data storage unit 208c or information about the extracted boundary from the inspection object supplied by the boundary extraction processing unit 208b. Can be reset by information about the surface shape or layer structure.

Next, an example of the actual operation and the process by the structure shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining processing executed in each of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i.

A signal for driving the piezoelectric element 221a or the like is generated in the signal generator 201, which is guided to the piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element 225a in the drawing) selected by the drive element selector 202. As a result, the piezoelectric element 225a generates the ultrasonic waves U, and the generated ultrasonic waves are irradiated to the inspection target 217 through the acoustic propagation medium 216 and the coupler 218.

The ultrasonic wave U irradiated to the inspection object 217 is further refracted by the surface thereof, and further progresses, for example, is reflected by the defect 214 or the like to be echoed, and is then returned to the piezoelectric element 221a or the like through the inspection object 217. To reach.

As a result, the piezoelectric element 221a or the like generates an electric signal. The generated electrical signal is guided to the signal detection circuit 204 and detected. The signal detection circuit 204 induces the electrical signals (piezoelectric elements 221a,..., 229a generated in the figure) from the detected ones to the amplifiers 205a,..., 205i, respectively. The amplifiers 205a, ..., 205i respectively amplify the induced signals and supply them to the A / D converters 206a, ..., 206i in the signal processing unit 270. In addition, each of the signals A / D converted by the A / D converters 206a, ..., 206i is supplied to the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i.

Processing in each of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i is executed as follows. Referring to FIG. 9, the piezoelectric elements (j) 231 on the array transducer 209 correspond to the piezoelectric elements 225a emitting ultrasonic waves (= on the transmitting side) in FIG. The piezoelectric elements (k) 232 on the array transducer 209 correspond to one of the piezoelectric elements 221a, ..., 229a in FIG. 7 (piezoelectric element on the receiving side).

The imaging area 240 corresponds to the acoustic propagation medium 216 and the inspection object 217 in FIG. 7, and the imaging area 240A includes the imaging area 240B in the acoustic propagation medium 216. Each of these inspection objects 217 corresponds. The imaging areas 240A and 240B are captured and meshed in three dimensions (or simply in two dimensions of the cross section shown) as shown.

In addition, the imaging area 240A and the array transducer 209 should be shown in surface contact as shown in FIG. 7, but are shown separated for convenience.

Transmitted and received echo strengths P detected by the piezoelectric elements (k) 232 and input to one of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i are temporal data, for example, shown in the middle of FIG. It is a time discrete signal as shown. Each of the sampled intensities in this temporal discrete signal originates from reflection from somewhere in each mesh of imaging area 240.

For this correspondence, propagation time table data 407 is used. This propagation time table data 407 is stored in the table data storage unit 307 shown in FIG. The propagation time table data 407 is generated for each combination (j, k) of the piezoelectric elements (j) 231 on the transmitting side and the piezoelectric elements (k) on the receiving side, and corresponds to each mesh of the imaging area 240. The propagation time of (j → i → k) is recorded. As shown in the drawing, the table data 271 corresponds to the imaging area 240A and the table data 272 corresponding to the imaging area 240B. The propagation time table data 407 is also structured in three dimensions (or simply in two dimensions of the cross section shown) as shown corresponding to the imaging area 240.

For example, when the reflection intensity from the imaging mesh (i) 251 is determined from the data of the transmission / reception echo intensity P, first, the propagation time corresponding to the imaging mesh (i) 251 is obtained. The propagation time (i) 261 is extracted from the storage position of the table data 407. Then, the sampling value of the transmit / receive echo strength P for a time t corresponding to the propagation time i 261 is specified. The sampling value is the reflection intensity from the imaging mesh (i) 251.

Similarly, imaging mesh (i + 1) 252, imaging mesh (i + 2) 253, imaging mesh (i + 3) 254, imaging mesh (i + 4) 255 ),… The propagation time (i + 1) 262, the propagation time (i + 2) 263, the propagation time (i + 3) 264,. The reflection intensity can be determined by using

The determination of the reflection intensity for each mesh as described above is performed in parallel by changing the k value of the piezoelectric elements (k) 232 on the receiving side in each of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i in the signal processing unit 270. Is executed. These results are sent to the image integration processing unit 208a and added to each mesh. In other words, in the above-described processing, since parallel processing is executed in the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i, a very high speed processing is realized.

Further, the final image is obtained, for example, for all combinations of the piezoelectric element (j) 231 on the transmitting side and the piezoelectric element k on the receiving side at the time when the processing ends. For the sake of simplicity, for example, all combinations of the piezoelectric elements (j) 231 on the transmitting side and the piezoelectric elements k on the receiving side can be regarded as the time point at which the processing is finished. These results are displayed on the display device 210. That is, the presence of the defect 214 increases the reflection intensity of the ultrasonic wave U from the area, and therefore the imaged result reflects its position and degree.

The propagation time table data 407 can be created by specifying the propagation path by performing refractive calculation in consideration of the material difference of the imaging regions 240A and 240B in advance. Here, refraction occurs as shown at the interface due to the material difference between the imaging area 240A and the imaging area 240B, but this refraction is added to obtain a propagation time of (j → i → k). have.

The propagation time table data 407 is initially stored in the table data storage unit 307 shown in FIG. 8, but in the actual processing, necessary portions are stored in the internal memories 305a, 305b, ..., 305i. Transmitted and used. By setting it as a structure to transmit, it can contribute to a faster process as a whole by using a high speed memory as internal memory 305a, 305b, ..., 305i.

Next, another example of the actual operation and processing by the configuration shown in Figs. 7 and 8 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another example of processing executed in each of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i, and the same reference numerals are attached to the parts described in FIG. This will be described below by avoiding duplication.

In this example of processing, instead of the propagation time table data 407, the common piezoelectric element j (231) and the piezoelectric element (k) of the receiving side (j, k) are common and one-way. One-way propagation time table data 295 in which the propagation time is stored is used. The one-way propagation time table data 295 includes table data 296 corresponding to the imaging area 240A and table data 297 corresponding to the imaging area 240B.

Even such one-way propagation time table data 295 can be used when the inspection object 217 has a geometric symmetry or a planar surface. This is because, on the transmitting side, a uniform propagation time can be assumed based on the difference (ji) value, that is, not on the individual j value. Similarly, on the receiving side, the difference (ik) value, i.e. This is because a uniform propagation time can be assumed regardless of the individual k values.

For example, in the case where the reflection intensity from the imaging mesh (i) 251 is determined from the data of the transmission / reception echo intensity P, first, the ji is acquired from the one-way propagation time table data 295. The sender propagation time (ji) 281 is extracted by (zine). Similarly, the reception side propagation time (i-k) 291 is extracted from the one-way propagation time table data 295 using (i-k) as a factor. Then, the transmission propagation time j-i 281 and the reception propagation time i-k 291 are added, and the sampling value of the transmission / reception echo intensity P of the time t corresponding to the addition value is specified. The sampling value is the reflection intensity from the imaging mesh (i) 251.

Similarly, imaging mesh (i + 1) 252, imaging mesh (i + 2) 253, imaging mesh (i + 3) 254, imaging mesh (i + 4) 255 ),… The propagation time (j-i + 1) 282, the propagation time (j-i + 2) 283,. And propagation time (i + 1-k) 292, propagation time (i + 2-k) 293,... The reflection intensity can be determined by using

As described above, in this example, instead of the propagation time table data 407, it is common regardless of the combination (j, k) of the piezoelectric element (j) 231 on the transmitting side and the piezoelectric element k on the receiving side. In addition, since the one-way propagation time table data 295 in which the one-way propagation time is stored is used, the required storage area can be significantly reduced.

In addition, this storage area can be reduced by taking the following measures. That is, since the ultrasonic waves generated from the reference piezoelectric element 238 shown in FIG. 10 have directivity, it is not necessary to prepare a storage area corresponding to a range outside the transmit / receive range 239. In such a range, a storage area is not provided (in addition, since the reference piezoelectric element 238 is located on the upper left side in the figure and is not set on the upper center, the left and right symmetry is used).

Next, some supplementary examples of the actual operation and processing by the configuration shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 will be given.

When creating the propagation time table data 407 or the one-way propagation time table data 295, in consideration of the directivity characteristics of the piezoelectric element 221a or the like, the propagation time and sensitivity distribution data due to directivity are to be stored in these table data. It may be. In this way, the gain of the square component of the ultrasonic wave whose sensitivity is lowered can be corrected, and the echo data of the square component can be used to contribute to the improvement in accuracy.

In addition, when creating the propagation time table data 407 or the one-way propagation time table data 295, it is assumed that a single layer of an acoustic propagation medium made of a solid or a liquid is used as the inspection object, and the table data is incorporated as data providing means. Initial setting may be made in the processor 208 (also not shown for the configuration within the integrated processor 208 for this). By imaging the result obtained by this process setting, it is possible to extract and detect the interface (i.e., discontinuous surface or discontinuous line) between the acoustic propagation medium 216 and the true inspection object 217 (process is boundary extraction processing unit 208b). )). This is because the assumptions and actual results differ depending on the existence position of the interface, so that the existence and position of the interface can be specified.

Then, based on the specification of this interface, the integrated processor 208 resets the respective table data 407 and 295 (also not shown for the configuration in the integrated processor 208 for this), and reset each table data. By using 407 and 295, it is possible to cope with imaging when the position and shape of the inspection target 217 change.

In addition, in case the shape of the true inspection object 217 is complicated, the shape data is stored in advance in the shape data storage unit 208c, and the propagation time table data 407 or one-way is added to the stored shape data. The propagation time table data 295 may be operated to reset.

(Example 7)

Next, an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

It is a schematic diagram explaining the structure of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 7th Example of this invention. As shown in Fig. 11, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus is an array transducer 506, an ultrasonic transducer composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a matrix or in a line, a transmission / reception switching device 508, an image synthesizing device 509, The defect 504 in the object 503 which has the display apparatus 510 and is immersed in the water 502 in the container 501 can be visualized and shown. A flat shoe member 505 is tightly fixed to the front surface of the array transducer 506 through the coupler 507. In addition, a reflector 513 and a fixing stand 515 are provided in the container 501.

The container 501 is a container that accommodates the water 502 and the object 503, and is for inspecting the object 503 by ultrasonic waves in the state immersed in the water 502.

Water 502 is a kind of liquid acoustic medium that propagates ultrasonic waves. That is, a liquid other than water 502, for example, oil, may be used as the liquid acoustic medium.

The object 503 is an inspection object that inspects an internal state by ultrasonic waves, and inspects the presence or absence of a defect 504 (eg, removal of voids, bonding, etc.). In addition, the subject 503 is positioned and fixed in the container 501 by the fixed stand 515.

The shoe material 505 is an acoustic medium (solid acoustic medium) made of a flat plate-shaped solid, and becomes part of the propagation path of ultrasonic waves between the array transducer 506 and the object 503, for example, plastic, It can be comprised from suitable materials, such as a metal.

The array transducer 506 functions as a piezoelectric element, and a plurality of piezoelectric elements 520 are arranged in an array shape. The piezoelectric element 520 is a conversion element that converts electricity into pressure and pressure into electricity, and can transmit ultrasonic waves and receive reflected ultrasonic waves X reflected from defects 504 and the like in the object 503. have.

The reflector 513 functions as a reflector, reflects the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the predetermined piezoelectric element 520, changes its propagation direction, and makes it enter from the side of the object 503.

The coupler 507 is a medium for improving the acoustic coupling state between the shoe material 505 and the array transducer 506, and typically, glycerin may be used as an acoustic medium of a semi-fluid having moderate viscosity. By interposing the coupler 507 between the shoe material 505 and the array transducer 506, the ultrasonic transfer between the shoe material 505 and the array transducer 506 is efficiently performed, and the shoe material 505 is provided. And ultrasonic reflection (a kind of noise) at the interface of each of the array transducers 506 is reduced.

The transmission / reception switching device 508 is a device for selecting an element that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave from the plurality of piezoelectric elements 520 in the array transducer 506, and includes a driving element selecting unit 521 and a signal generating unit 522. ), A signal detection circuit 523, and an amplifier 524.

The drive element selection unit 521 functions as a signal generation circuit, and is a selection circuit for inputting an electric signal generated by the signal generation unit 522 and selecting the piezoelectric element 520 for generating ultrasonic waves.

The signal generator 522 is for generating an electrical signal for generating ultrasonic waves in the piezoelectric element 520, and typically includes an oscillation circuit.

The signal detection circuit 523 functions as a detection unit, and is a detection circuit that detects an electrical signal generated by each of the piezoelectric elements 520 by receiving ultrasonic waves. At the time of this detection, the piezoelectric element 520 can be selected suitably, and the electrical signal corresponding to the selected piezoelectric element 520 is sent to the amplifier 524. At this time, the plurality of piezoelectric elements 520 can be selected, and the parallelism of the signal processing is improved.

The amplifier 524 is for amplifying a signal detected by the signal detection circuit 523, and an amplifier element corresponding to the number of outputs from the signal detection circuit 523 (the number of the selected piezoelectric elements 520). Is present.

That is, the transmission / reception switching device 508 selects a reception element that receives the reflected ultrasonic wave X (ultrasound echo X) from the piezoelectric element 520, and transmits the electrical signal E generated by the selected piezoelectric element 520. After amplification, the signals are sequentially transmitted to the image synthesizing apparatus 509.

The image synthesizing apparatus 509 functions as an image generating unit for generating an image, and has an A / D converter 525 and a parallel processor 526. The A / D converter 525 analog-to-digital converts the electrical signal received by the signal detection circuit 523.

The parallel processor 526 functions as a sound speed correcting unit and an image generating unit, and is a signal processing unit that performs signal processing for visualizing the state of the inspection object based on the signal digitalized by the A / D converter 525.

The display device 510 is a display device that displays information derived from the image synthesizing device 509. For example, a CRT and a liquid crystal display device can be used.

(Operation of Ultrasonic Testing Equipment)

The operation of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus will be described below.

(1) Ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the piezoelectric element 520 by an electric signal input from the signal generator 522 to the piezoelectric element 520 via the driving element selector 521. Ultrasonic waves transmitted from the piezoelectric element 520 reach the defect 504 in the object 503 through the shoe material 505 and the water 502. This ultrasonic wave is reflected by the defect 504 to become the reflected ultrasonic wave X, and is again received by the piezoelectric element 520 through the water 502 and the shoe material 505.

(2) The electrical signals generated from the respective piezoelectric elements 520 by the received reflected ultrasonic wave X are detected, amplified, and digitalized by the signal detection circuit 523, the amplifier 524, and the A / D converter 525. The image is converted and processed by the parallel processor 526.

This image combining process can be performed by the aperture combining process using the transmission / reception propagation time td from the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to the reception and the intensity (amplitude value) Ad of the reflected ultrasonic wave X.

That is, an ultrasonic reflection source (for example, a defect) of the subject 503 on an ellipsoidal surface (equal-distance propagation surface 512) having a constant distance corresponding to the transmission / reception propagation time td that focuses on the transmitting position and the receiving position of the ultrasonic wave 504), the intersections of the ellipsoids at different transmission positions and reception positions become reflection source positions, and a plurality of transmission positions (piezoelectric elements 520) and receiving positions (piezoelectric elements 520) are provided. The ellipsoidal superposition (addition) in the combination of, for example, can be reconstructed on the three-dimensional image memory to reconstruct the image inside the object 503.

Specifically, the equidistant propagation surface 512 corresponding to the transmission / reception propagation time td is calculated for each pair of piezoelectric elements 520 selected on the transmission side and the reception side, respectively, and reflected on the calculated equidistant propagation surface 512. The amplitude value Ad of the ultrasonic wave X is added. A plurality of equidistant propagation surfaces 512 corresponding to each of the combinations of piezoelectric elements 520 selected on each of the transmitting and receiving sides are calculated, and the amplitude values of the reflected ultrasonic waves X on the plurality of equidistant propagation surfaces 512 are calculated. By this addition, the image of the subject 503 can be generated including the defect 504 and the like therein.

The transmission / reception propagation time td is a time required from the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to the reception of the reflected ultrasonic wave X, the time t1 at which the ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the piezoelectric element 520 on the transmitting side, and the piezoelectric element 520 on the receiving side. Is the difference t2-t1 of the time t2 at which the ultrasonic wave was received.

(3) When calculating the equidistant propagation surface 512 from the transmission / reception propagation time td, the amount of “the interface between the shoe material 505 and the water 502” and the “interface between the object 503 and the water 502” It is preferable to add refraction at the interface. Specifically, the equidistant propagation surface 512 is calculated more precisely in consideration of the Snell's formula shown in the following formulas (1) and (2).

C 5 / sin θ 52 = C 2 / sin θ 25. Formula (1)

C 2 / sin θ 23 = C 3 / sin θ 32. Formula (2)

Here, C5: the ultrasonic velocity in the shoe material 505

C2: ultrasonic velocity in water 502

C3: ultrasonic velocity in the subject 503

θ52: Ultrasonic Incident (Emission) Angle from the Shoe Material 505 to the Water 502

θ25: Ultrasonic emission (incidence) angle from the shoe material 505 to the water 502

θ23: Ultrasonic Incident (Emission) Angle from the Water 502 to the Subject 503

θ32: Ultrasonic emission (incident) angle from the water 502 to the subject 503

to be.

(4) The ultrasonic wave transmitted from the piezoelectric element 520 is reflected in the horizontal direction by the reflector 513 fixed in the container 501, and the horizontal direction ultrasonic wave Z is applied to the side surface of the to-be-tested object 503. Can be incident. This horizontal direction measurement ultrasonic wave Z is reflected from the side surface of the subject 503, the defect 504 inside, etc., is received by the piezoelectric element 520, and used for the image synthesis process by the parallel processor 526. Can be.

Thus, by accommodating the data of the horizontal direction measurement ultrasonic wave Z, the horizontal position measurement of the side surface of the to-be-tested object 503 and the defect 504 inside, or imaging from a horizontal direction can be performed simultaneously.

In addition, the piezoelectric element 520 which transmits and receives the horizontal measurement ultrasonic wave Z is distinguished from the piezoelectric element 520 which transmits and receives the reflected ultrasound X, thereby making the reflected ultrasound X It becomes easy to distinguish the front direction image of the subject 503 by the horizontal direction image of the subject 503 by the horizontal direction measurement ultrasonic wave Z. In the display on the display device 510, the front image and the side image thus divided can be displayed in different display colors, so that the image can be easily identified.

(5) Since the speed of sound in the water 502 fluctuates due to water temperature or the like, a more precise image can be generated by correcting the supersonic speed.

This correction can be performed by inputting and storing the supersonic value itself in the water 502 into the image synthesizing apparatus 509, but the transmission / reception propagation time td of the reflected ultrasonic wave X from the surface of the subject 503 or the fixed stand. It can also be carried out based on).

In the water 502, when the thickness d5 of the shoe material 505, the distance L from the shoe material 505 to the surface of the object 503, and the sound velocity C5 in the shoe material 505 are already known. Can be calculated by the following equation (3).

td = 2 (d5 / C5) + 2 (L / C2). Formula (3)

Here, the sound velocity in the water 502 is extracted by extracting the surface of the object 503 by image analysis of the synthesized image based on the characteristics of the surface shape of the object 503 (for example, a plane and a curved surface). The correction will be made automatically. Specifically, by binarizing the synthesized image, the outline of the subject 503 is extracted, a point close to the piezoelectric element 520 is selected from the outline, and the transmission / reception propagation time td corresponding to this point is determined. Then, the speed of sound C2 in the water 502 is corrected.

(Example 8)

It is a schematic diagram explaining the structure of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 8th Example of this invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the ultrasonic inspection apparatus uses the array transducer 506 as a reception only, and transmits the additional shoe member 545 and the shoe member 545 in tight contact with the coupler 547. It has an array transducer 546.

The shoe member 545 is a solid acoustic medium having a flat plate structure fixed to be parallel to the surface of the shoe member 505 at a position in which the subject 503 is sandwiched with respect to the shoe member 505 in the water 502. The same material as 505 can be used.

A plurality of piezoelectric elements 540 are arranged in an array shape in the transmission array transducer 546 and have the same configuration as the array transducer 506.

The coupler 547 is a medium for improving the acoustic coupling state between the shoe material 545 and the array transducer 546, and may use the same material as the coupler 507.

Hereinafter, the operation of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the eighth embodiment will be described.

By the transmission / reception switching device 508, the specific piezoelectric element 540 is selectively driven from the plurality of piezoelectric elements 540 in the array transducer 546, and the transmission ultrasonic wave U is transmitted from the selectively driven piezoelectric element 540. Is sent. The transmitted ultrasound U passes through the shoe material 545, the water 502, and the object 503, and is received by the array transducer 506 again through the water 502 and the shoe material 505. The electrical signal E generated by the plurality of piezoelectric elements 520 is selectively detected by the transmission / reception switching device 508. The image synthesizing apparatus 509 synthesizes the transmission image of the subject 503 from the detected electric signal E, and the display device 510 displays the result of the combined transmission image composition processing.

As a result, the inside of the subject 503 in the water 502 can be visualized in a state where the array transducer 506 is provided in addition to the container 501.

The image combining process in the image synthesizing apparatus 509 is executed based on the transmission and reception propagation time and amplitude values of the transmission ultrasonic waves U. Medium different from the water 502 in the path of the ultrasonic wave from the transmitting piezoelectric element 540 to the receiving piezoelectric element 520 (for example, an internal structure such as the object 503 itself or a defect 504). If there is, the amplitude of the transmitted ultrasonic wave U received by reflecting the ultrasonic wave at the interface (for example, the surface of the object 503 or the defect 504 or the like) is reduced. In addition, the transmission and reception propagation time changes by the transmission ultrasonic waves U passing through the inside of the medium. In this way, the transmit / receive propagation time and amplitude values of the transmission ultrasonic waves U are calculated in correspondence with the path of the ultrasonic waves (ultrasound transmission paths) from the transmission piezoelectric element 540 to the reception piezoelectric element 520, thereby inspecting the subject ( 503 A transparent image of the defect 504 inside can be synthesized.

The calculation of the ultrasonic transmission path is performed based on the positional relationship between the transmitting piezoelectric element 540 and the receiving piezoelectric element 520. In calculating the ultrasonic transmission path, the ultrasonic transmission path can be calculated more precisely by taking into account the refraction of the “interface between the shoe material 505 and the water 502” and the “interface between the shoe material 545 and the water 502”. have. That is, the Snell formula of Formulas (1) and (2) is appropriately added.

The ultrasonic inspection apparatus, the ultrasonic transducer, the inspection apparatus, and the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the present invention can be manufactured in the electronic device manufacturing industry, the electronic device manufacturing industry, the measurement device manufacturing industry, and the like. It can be used in industry, semiconductor device manufacturing industry, engineering industry and the like. Therefore, it has industrial utility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The block diagram explaining the structure of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus which concerns on 1st Example of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of the piezoelectric element 41a and the like shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of an ultrasound inspection apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view for explaining an example of the configuration of performing an ultrasonic inspection by the ultrasonic imaging apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view showing in more detail the configuration in the signal processing unit 270 shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining processing executed in each of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i shown in FIG.

10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another example of a process executed in each of the parallel processors 207a, 207b, ..., 207i shown in FIG.

11 is a schematic diagram showing an ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a schematic diagram showing an ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

1: signal generator 2: drive element selector

4 signal detection circuit 7 signal processing unit

9: ultrasonic transducer 10: display device

11 semiconductor chip 17 coupler

29 electrode layer 71 vibration displacement detector

Claims (8)

A plurality of contact terminals having a needle-like structure, A driving portion connected to the contact terminal, for generating a driving voltage from any of the contact terminals; A detection unit connected to the contact terminal and detecting, from the plurality of contact terminals, an electrical signal returned from the inspection object to the contact terminal due to the generated drive voltage; And a processing unit that performs a process of visualizing the state of the inspection object from the detected electrical signal and the position of the arbitrary contact terminal. A laser light source generated by intermittently or intensity modulating the laser light, An optical transmitter that irradiates the inspection object with the generated laser light as a spot shape; A scan movement mechanism to scan-move the optical transmitter relative to the inspection object; A vibration displacement detector which detects the vibration displacement on the surface of the inspection object caused by the echo of the ultrasonic wave in the inspection object generated by the irradiated laser light in a non-contact manner and converts it into an electrical signal by a displacement measuring method using laser light; And a processing unit that performs a process of visualizing the state of the inspection object from the converted electric signal and the position of the scanning shifted optical transmitter. A piezoelectric part having a plurality of piezoelectric elements, A solid acoustic propagation medium having a flat plate shape acoustically connected to the piezoelectric portion; A driving unit for generating ultrasonic waves by selecting a piezoelectric element from the piezoelectric unit; A detection unit for detecting an electric signal generated from the piezoelectric element of the piezoelectric unit based on the reflected ultrasonic wave in which a part of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the piezoelectric element selected by the drive unit is reflected from the object under test in the liquid acoustic medium; An image generating unit for generating an image representing an internal state of the object under test based on the electrical signal detected by the detection unit; And a display unit for displaying the image generated by the image generating unit. The method of claim 3, wherein And an container having an opening through which the solid acoustic propagation medium penetrates, accommodating the subject therein, and accumulating the liquid acoustic medium. The method of claim 3, wherein And the container for accommodating the solid acoustic propagation medium and the outer surface acoustically and accommodating the test object therein and accumulating the liquid acoustic medium. The method of claim 3, wherein And a sound speed correction unit for correcting the sound speed in the liquid acoustic medium based on the ultrasonic propagation time until the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the piezoelectric unit are reflected from the surface of the subject to be received by the piezoelectric unit. Ultrasonic scanning device. The method of claim 3, wherein And a reflecting unit for reflecting a part of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the piezoelectric unit and irradiating the inspected object. A first ultrasonic transducer having a plurality of piezoelectric elements, A first solid acoustic propagation medium acoustically connected to the first ultrasonic transducer, A driving unit for generating ultrasonic waves by selecting a piezoelectric element from the first ultrasonic transducer; A second solid acoustic propagation medium disposed opposite the first solid acoustic propagation medium, A second ultrasonic transducer acoustically connected to said second solid acoustic propagation medium, said second ultrasonic transducer having a plurality of piezoelectric elements; A detector for detecting an electrical signal generated by the second ultrasonic transducer; An image generator which generates an image based on the electrical signal detected by the detector; And a display unit for displaying the image generated by the image generating unit.